Travel advisories, closed airports, empty skies: How Middle East air disruptions might affect your plans

By Karla Cripps, Marnie Hunter, Jennifer Hansler, CNN

(CNN) — The war with Iran continues to cause aviation chaos in the Middle East as thousands of people try to leave the region to escape a conflict that’s been broadening geographically each day.

The US is advising its citizens to leave the region immediately via commercial options, if possible. Some flights have left the Middle East for countries including the United Kingdom, Australia and parts of Asia, as governments around the world examine potential repatriation routes.

One charter flight of Americans left the Middle East on Wednesday, the State Department said without providing further details. It is the first confirmed US-facilitated evacuation flight. The State Department said that “additional flights will be surged throughout the region.”

A wide corridor of airspace over the Middle East remained closed on Thursday morning as countries neighboring Iran restricted flights in and out of the region.

Travelers are being urged to monitor government alert systems and check with their airlines for cancelations or alternative flights out.

Here’s what travelers need to know.

What are governments advising?

The State Department has urged US citizens to “DEPART NOW” from countries throughout the Middle East “due to serious safety risks,” however the limited number of flights poses a challenge for those trying to leave.

The US State Department on Wednesday called on US citizens in countries including Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to fill out a crisis intake form to “receive departure assistance information from the Department of State about available aviation and ground transportation options.”

Almost 3,000 Americans have called to register with the department, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on CNN on Wednesday. He added that Americans who wish to leave the region and have registered with the State Department should be ready to go as they wait for information from the department.

Americans in other countries who wish to receive assistance are still told to call the 24/7 hotline: +1-202-501-4444. More than 120 people are fielding calls at that 24/7 call center, a State Department official said.

“We will proactively reach out when charter flights, charter buses, other options are available. When they call, when they register, we have people right now, hundreds of people proactively making calls. Advice for American people in the region: be ready to go quickly once you receive that call,” Pigott said.

An earlier post on X from a State Department consular affairs official on Monday had called on US citizens to depart “using available commercial travel” from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Other nations have issued similar warnings as they work to assist stranded travelers in the region.

Canada’s government posted a notice on X advising travelers to “leave the United Arab Emirates as soon as you can secure a flight option.” It has also advised Canadians to avoid all travel to Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Palestinian territories, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE and to avoid nonessential travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

The United Kingdom’s government says British nationals in Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Palestinian territories, Qatar and the UAE should register their presence to receive direct updates from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The Australian government has opened an emergency portal for citizens in Israel, Iran, Qatar and the UAE, and warned its citizens overseas to be prepared for serious travel disruptions in the days ahead.

Australians have been advised not to travel to most destinations in the Middle East. This includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestinian territories, Qatar, Syria, the UAE and Yemen. They should also reconsider the need to travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Is Middle East airspace still closed?

The skies over the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan all remained nearly empty Thursday morning, as shown on maps by flight tracking website Flightradar24.

The Middle East is home to several major airlines, including Emirates and Etihad in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Qatar Airways, based in the Qatari capital, Doha. And the impact stretches far beyond the Middle East. All three of those cities are major global hubs, with millions of passengers transiting through them each year.

Emirates, which had suspended all flights to and from its bases, resumed a limited number of repatriation and freight flights Monday night. All scheduled Emirates flights to and from Dubai will remain suspended until at least 11.59 p.m. UAE time on March 7, according to its website.

The Dubai Airports website advises travelers not to proceed to the airport unless they have been contacted directly by their airlines.

All of Etihad ’s scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi remain suspended until 6 a.m. UAE time on March 6.

Qatar Airways flights to and from Doha’s Hamad International Airport remain suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace.

Prices of flights between Asia and Europe have shot up as a result of the closures, Reuters reports.

There are two ways for carriers offering nonstop Asia-Europe flights to bypass the closed Middle Eastern airspace. They can fly north via the Caucasus then over Afghanistan, or south via Egypt then over Saudi Arabia and Oman.

However, this may add to flight times and fuel usage, at a time when oil prices are surging.

How many flights have been canceled?

Thousands of international flights have been canceled each day since Sunday, according to data from FlightAware.com, with the chaos likely to continue this week as airspace remains closed in many parts of the region.

Outside the region, other airlines continue to reroute or cancel flights that had been scheduled to fly near the conflict zone.

German airline Lufthansa, for instance, has suspended regular flights to and from Dubai until March 6. It has also suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil, Dammam, and Tehran until March 8.

What should you do if your flight is canceled?

Travelers are advised to check with their airline or travel agent as soon as possible for information on rebooking and refunds, though passengers are reporting difficulties getting assistance because of high caller volumes.

Policies vary according to the airline, with options for refunds or fee-free rebooking. Policies from Emirates and Etihad are listed on their websites, with specifics subject to change as the situation evolves.

Airlines outside the region, such as British Airways, are also offering flexibility to affected travelers.

What about cruises?

Cruise ships in the region have also been affected, with thousands of passengers and crew waiting on vessels that have been waylaid in ports in the UAE and Qatar.

Among them is the Mein Schiff 5, operated by Germany-based TUI Cruises, which is now in Doha Port after completing its itinerary. TUI has canceled other cruises scheduled to commence in the region in coming days.

TUI’s chief executive Sebastian Ebel said Tuesday that the company plans to repatriate German customers stranded in the Middle East within several days, Reuters reports.

TUI Cruises said that a special Emirates flight departed from Dubai to Munich with 218 guests from Mein Schiff 4, its vessel in Abu Dhabi.

Swiss-Italian operator MSC Cruises said its vessel, the MSC Euribia, is remaining in Dubai following guidance from US regional military authorities, according to Reuters.

On Wednesday, the cruise line said it’s working directly with airlines, including Emirates and Etihad Airways, requesting “priority” for passengers on return flights.

“At present, airlines operating flights have indicated that they will follow an order of priority based on the original flight date,” said an MSC Cruises’ spokesperson.

The cruise line said it’s also working on chartering flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Muscat “to speed up the repatriation.”

What else is being done for stranded passengers?

In addition to the US, many countries are working to get their stranded nationals home safely, with evacuation flights now underway.

On Thursday, the New Zealand government said in a statement it’s exploring all options.

“With airspace closed and most commercial flights not operating, we continue to recommend that New Zealanders shelter in place — or take any safe and practical opportunities that are available to leave the region,” said Foreign Minister Winston Peters.

“As part of preparing for all contingencies, we are pre-deploying New Zealand consular staff and two Defence Force planes to the region — so that they can be ready when conditions allow to assist with any civilian evacuation operations.”

Canada is also working to evacuate some of its citizens from the Middle East, the country’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Canadian nationals in Israel will be bused to the Egyptian border. In Beirut, limited numbers are being put on planes. The government is also trying to arrange charter flights out of the UAE as the airspace begins to open, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand told a press conference.

The British foreign minister said the UK is working with airlines to boost evacuations, while France, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic have also begun arranging flights out of the region.

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